The state appointed lawyer for disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Ovsiannikov, who skipped the last hearing of Kyiv's Obolonsky District Court on August 1 on treason charges against Yanukovych, met with his client in Russia on August 3.

"We agreed with him on the legal position, which will be announced in court on August 16. [We] signed a protocol of a confidential meeting. The legal position is protected by a lawyer-client privilege, so I cannot talk about it yet," Ovsiannikov told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

He has said he may publish it if there are changes and his client permits.

He noted that while his power of defense attorney to participate in the trial has not been terminated, he is obliged to attend the next court hearing on August 16, despite the court's decision to appoint a new free lawyer for Yanukovych.

"I am aware of the decision made by the court on August 1 only from the media. I was not informed about it formally," he said.

As earlier reported, on August 1, the Obolonsky court decided to replace Yanukovych's state-appointed lawyer with another state-appointed lawyer and to continue hearing treason charges against Yanukovych on August 16.